What was your first job as a journalist?
I was a high school sports stringer for the Palm Beach Post and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I'm approaching 40-years-old, so it's been a long, long time since I've used a typewriter. I learned to type in high school on a PC.
How is social media changing news?
Social media has helped spread the news and improve interaction with readers, but it also has hurt quality and accuracy.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Hunter S. Thompson in Rum Diary.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Being a journalist means telling all sides of the story, asking the difficult questions and eliminating the noise from a story.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I want to know the ultimate goal of the story and how it will be presented.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Multiple forms of content management and online publishing platforms; photoshop, social media, skype, online chat.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
The ghost of Hunter S. Thompson.
Why did you become a journalist?
I became a writer, before I became a journalist. Like most, breaking my first big story made the journalist in me appear.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Nope.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My most courageous work, by far, was standing up to a Twitter bully, who was fooling the media to gain notoriety and sell sports picks.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Work hard to become less-reliant on page views.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Whenever you're in need of a reliable, passionate writer.
